Deliberate Consequences
by TheEpicBro117
Summary: A UNSC expedition to deep space causes consequences for both sides as humanity reaches for its rightful inheritance. Please take it easy on me with the reviews as this is my very first story.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

Bzzzt! The control interface on the exterior of the slim vessel sparked, signaling the connection between the vessel and a universal data splicer.

The user of the splicer entered a few keystrokes into a holographic interface; the splicer glowed a soft blue which slowly grew in intensity as it hacked the foreign computing systems.

/PASSCODE REQUIRED/

/INTRUDER DETEC-/

/ACCESS GRANTED/

'The Citadel Council consists of many client races, but consists mainly of three ruling class species: the Turians, the Asari, and the Salarians. Each have separate roles in the Galactic community, taking up the roles of the military, economy and politics, and science respectively.

The species get around using element-zero, which is an especially rare material, and as such is very expensive in the Citadel economy. However, despite this, the Citadel gets around using object floating at random points in space called "mass-relays." This allows for very fast travel of ships, allowing in-'

The text showing up in Kevin's HUD was abruptly cut off as all caps text showed up reading: "ALIEN EVA TEAM INCOMING; GOING SILENT. DETACH WHEN I GIVE THE ALL CLEAR." Kevin sighed and engaged his stealth protocols, becoming effectively invisible to heat, visual, radar scanners, and, as a bonus of stealth protocols, gravitational reading originating from his body mass. As part of an exploratory group sent through a sort of tuning fork object, now identified as "mass-relays," he had been charged with stealth infiltration in order to gain all possible intel on the new species. Even though the mass-relay was not exactly a stealthy entrance to alien space, the prowler's stealth systems had thus far prevented the unknowns from detecting their position, though the aliens were madly shooting out radio signals for a potential ping.

Kevin suddenly started as the xenos shined their lights on his position. Remembering his stealth training, he immediately stopped making any movements and locked his armor, all the while sending a level 3 flash transmission to the prowler warning of a possible encounter scenario. He then sent a signal through his neural interface for a possible data wipe if the aliens found him, however unlikely; still, every precaution must be made, especially if caught in a position like his. If the xenos found him, the act of stealing and extracting data would most likely be an act of war against this "Citadel Council." It was imperative for him to remain hidden or risk the mission and more, possibly even humanity, as the Citadel was unknown in military and industrial might.

Suddenly, the xenos abruptly stopped their EVA and went back into their vessel. Kevin was confused as to why they had stopped the search, when suddenly the vessel began to increase speed toward the mass-relay. Kevin lurched as the ship he was magnetically attached to sped up suddenly, and he realized their intention to go through the relay. He sent a level 1 flash transmission to all UEG colonies that the xenos were going through the relay to the only UEG-Sangheili joint colony.

And suddenly, the relay flashed, and he was looking down on the world of Shanxi. Kevin took his quantum entanglement communicator from his back and opened a comm line to the 4 orbital platforms around the planet.

"Shanxi Orbital Defense Network, do you read? Xenos are in the system, potential hostiles! Shanxi Orbital Defense Network, how copy?"

"This is the SOD Network. We read you operative. Spinning up energy projectors and MAC guns, mobilizing ground forces and alerting the planet, Stand by."

…..

The cool, brightly lit room at the top of the capitol building was apparently calm, but full of hidden, tense energy, buzzing about and leaving the military delegation in the forms of sweat and excessive body movement.

"What is so important that you must summon us at 2 in the morning ?" groaned the minister of economics.

"I'm here to discuss a priority one alert sent by the UNSC Spec Ops Operative, Kevin Cho. Here in the flash transmission it says that the unknowns were heading through the relay. He has forwarded all relevant data on the unknowns, now identified as the Citadel Council. We are here to discuss what to do in this situation, as we must identify a course of action. Remember, any plan suggested must be in the best interests of the UNSC or the Sangheili, not for oneself or the Citadel."

The UNSC representative piped up. "We should send the 3rd Rapid Response Fleet. They comprise of a small enough force so as to not cause serious alarm to this 'Citadel,' but could still probably hold their own in an engagement. However, if things go south, then the 1st Rapid Response Fleet should be on standby at Magnus, since it's the closest colony to Shanxi and would allow for a quick response. Is this plan good enough?"

"One small problem admiral; how will the 3RRF be able to reach Shanxi on time given that it's about 900 light years away, and our current SF-Drives can only travel that amount of distance in one day? If the Citadel decides to engage in hostilities, then what would give us one day to arrive in system?" The director of the Fundamental Academy of Sciences and Technologies inquired, worried..

The admiral simply grinned. "Why, director FAST, you underestimate the powers of space and ground based defences. Remember that now they have 5 ground-to-space particle accelerators, as well a recently deployed onager for low orbit craft. They should be able to hold out long enough for the 3RRF to reach Shanxi."

Then the council turned to the president. "Well, ?" asked the minister of economics. "Should we proceed with this plan? Remember, if you disagree, you are the commander in chief, so your decision is all that matters."

The president, put his head to his forehead, thinking hard about what future consequences his actions could have. He then abruptly lowered his hand and said "Pass the motion. Write out the documents and I'll have it signed. Social Minister, please alert the public about this new discovery as soon as possible please. The meeting is adjourned."

And with that, the military delegation shook hands, talked for a little while, and then left through the exit, and forward into history, and beyond…

…...

.

**Hey reader of my FIRST EVER fanfic (woohoo! *cheers and fireworks), how's it going? Remember to rate and review my fanfic (cut me some slack guys), and thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I've been pretty surprised by the viewer turnout, so I've decided to continue the story.** **I'll be responding to my reviews at the bottom of the page, and I'll also be asking for advice on how to continue my story. Sorry for writing this chapter so late!**

**I do NOT own Halo or Mass Effect, all rights belong to Halo and BioWare.**

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

**Captain Ariana, Stealth Cruiser **_**Telorian **_**POV**

The elevator was a pain. Ariana honestly could not see a point in installing an elevator if it took so many seconds to reach the bridge, wasting precious time in possible combat scenarios. Finally, the elevator emitted a soft 'ding' and opened to reveal the bridge, the collective nervous system of the ship and its crew. Every command making decision was made through here, and was quite possibly the most important part of a ship.

"Status report," Ariana called over the ambient noises of the ship's systems and the soft buzzing of the industrial white lights. Ever since the unidentified ship had entered system and mysteriously disappeared, the bridge had been in a state of constant alert.

The sensor operator, piped up and said, "Still no sign in the mystery ship. We've now sent out a total of around 200 radio pings, and none have been returned. Should we continue our efforts? It won't waste that much energy, but it seems as if these efforts are in vain."

"Keep on sending signals. They are bound to at least receive one, and assuming that this is a peaceful species, will return it with their own signals."

Suddenly, a subtle and soft clanging noise sounded through the bridge. A jolt of cautious fear suddenly coursed through Ariana. "Could comms please request an EVA team to search the hull? I am fairly sure I heard something."

The ships crew knew better than to question their captain's orders and senses by now, so the comms officer immediately called for an EVA team.

The EVA team had only been searching for around 3 standard minutes before an order from Citadel Command appeared upon her tablet. It read: "Jump through the Relay. It appears as if these unknowns remain adamant on staying hidden. We may find answers on the other side."

Ariana immediately recalled the team, and made speed for the relay, hoping to waste as little time as possible. The blast shield protecting the bridge shut over the windows with a resounding clang. A few beeps were heard throughout the now mostly silent bridge. A quiet hissing noise was all that was heard as they were captured by the mass effect field of the relay, and were catapulted beyond known space.

**Corporal Karim Byrd, 121st Airborne Division of Shanxi**

"Oops. Sorry ma'am!" Karim called in an apology to a lieutenant he had just run into. Karim was a bit of a klutz; he admitted it, but when the time called for it he was a decent soldier and pilot. Suddenly, the woman called out,

"Corporal, where do you think you're going?!" she exclaimed furiously.

Oops and double oops.

Karim jogged back reluctantly, not really wanting to deal with the leadership at the moment. As he neared the woman, he began to really grow nervous, not just because she was scary, but because she was scary in a pretty sort of way with a trace of oriental origin. It was a good thing that he had put on his piloting gear, or else she would have seen his light blush. She then promptly scolded him,

"What do you have to say for yourself corporal?"

"Well, I uh, sorry?" Karim responded awkwardly. Talking wasn't his strongest point, and talking while nervous certainly didn't make this trait any less obvious.

She obviously seemed to accept his clumsy apology, as she relaxed her posture a little. Karim sighed. It could've gone worse if he had run into another person instead of her. She suddenly turned around and asked, "Which pelican are you piloting?"

"Well, I think it's Pelican number 89067. Well, I mean I know, not think. It's my pelican after all."

"Oh, okay. I'm riding…" she pulled up her number on her TACPAD. "...89067?! YOU'RE my PILOT?"

"Hey, I'm not that bad. Besides, would I even be a pilot if I couldn't fly?"

"No, it's just- nevermind. Just don't crash."

As they neared the back of the docked pelican, they turned on their O2 masks so that they wouldn't suffocate. Karim then turned on his pressure suit, which did fairly well at keeping him at a nice pressure of 10.1 Newtons, and also activated his gravity stabilizers. These enabled him to do some fancy maneuvers that would normally cause a man without g stabilizers to black out. But since they were a fairly new technology, only pilots were equipped with them.

Karim then entered a code, which allowed the door of the pelican to slide open. The crew was already inside and ready. He then took off his helmet for a retinal scan, which then allowed the cockpit door to slowly open. Karin put his helmet back on and it sealed with a hiss.

Karim entered the cockpit, keyed the engines with his crystalline microchip, and repressurized the cabin area and the cockpit. He sat down with a sigh, and the holographic dashboard blinked to life. With a few quick finger motions, he retracted the docking struts that were attached to the station and activated the energy shield.

_Status Check:_

_Forward gauss turret- Check_

_Side Chain Guns- Check_

_Thrusters- Check_

_Energy Shields- Check_

_Engines- Check_

_Hydrogen fuel- Check_

_Heatsinks- Check_

_Hydraulics- Check_

"All systems reporting in, prepare for liftoff," Karim stated almost robotically. "Check your safety harnesses and make sure all your gear is functioning. Liftoff in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; starting thrusters." Karim then sent a signal to the station on their successful takeoff. Karim was jerked back in his seat as they accelerated quickly to a speed of 2 km/s in the span of about 2 seconds. Soon, the only thing that could be heard was the soft, slightly high pitched sound of the thrusters and mini-reactor within the pelican.

"Can anyone tell me why we're going down?" came a slightly muffled voice from the cabin. "When I try to view the file all I see is just a bunch of 'CLASSIFIEDs'."

"Private, you'll find out soon enough." It was the lieutenant speaking.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" murmured the private. But he didn't speak again afterwards, and the pelican all but fell silent.

After a few more seconds, Karim called out over the intercom, "Brace for re-entry. Seriously, check your safety harnesses; this could get rough."

Suddenly, as Karim was watching the familiar hues of plasma generated from re-entry, he saw a strange, aquatic like dot that was hanging near "The Stick" as the UNSC had started labeling the unknown, tuning fork-like object. Zooming in further revealed that the ship was purely alien in design; the closest design in the ship records were of the Old Covenant. In an odd sort of "lightbulb" moment, he finally unlocked the puzzle pieces as to what this whole affair was about.

Aliens, probably.

**And THAT concludes my second chapter friends! I'm not really sure how the conflict should play out with the Citadel (or possibly some other species or organization), I'll probably need some help with that. Now onto the reviews!**

**Hornet07- Thanks! Nice and long review; I'll keep grammar and spelling in mind as I continue to write my story. **

**DLM4- Thanks for the feedback. I'm not really sure about betas as I'm pretty new to writing Fanfiction. But later on I might get a beta to review my stories for me though.**

**Thanks for all the awesome feedback guys! Keep it coming!**

**Please post your suggestions in the review section, and don't forget to click that awesome 'favorite' button!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm back with a third chapter; it's a bit longer than usual, so that should make up for how long it took me to post this chapter. If you need to know WHY it took me so long, there is a codex below the actual writing, and writing a codex is not easy. In fact, it takes a long damn time since I have to look up like a thousand things, and I prefer not to wave around the magical "Wand of the Author." As per usual, review responses will be posted down AFTER the story.**

**I'm gonna be juggling around 2 or 3 OC's, and multiple more temporary OC's. If you want your OC to be included into this story, PM me their character traits, statistics, background, anything that could be relevant to their person and the story. Not all entries will be accepted! Don't be hurt if your OC is not included, just try a different one if you want. Also, there will only be a certain number which is to be decided on by me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HALO OR MASS EFFECT! All rights belong to 343 and BioWare EXCEPT for OC's and the situations.**

**Without further ado, Enjoy! **

**Admiral Conrad Eliezer,** **Defense Station Aswan, Shanxi, 2609**

If there was one word to describe the station at this certain point, it would be "discipline." Tough military training and years of experience in fighting off Brute incursions had left the crew with a tough mentality of order and duty. After all, this was the closest world to Brute controlled space, though Brute territory had been deteriorating at a very fast pace.

Unfortunately, Shanxi also appeared to be the nearest world to the unknowns' controlled space.

'Dammit,' thought Eliezer. 'Why does everything happen to Shanxi?'

Fortunately, the UNSC had prioritized in fortifying the world, and so far, their station, _The Aswan_, was one of 15 operational orbital defense platforms, with 20 more under construction. There were 2 ground-to-space plasma batteries and 5 onagers, which were to be activated in case of a breach of the defense network. There was also a current fleet of 10 ships, which was defending the "cradles." The Cradles were large, 6 kilometer long mobile shipyards which could build almost anything in the UNSC database except for the Dreadnought and Carrier class vessels, provided the necessary materials.

The unfinished defense platforms were extremely vulnerable to attack, as the necessary power lines and point defense emplacements were not set, and as the single unknown ship was sure to call for reinforcements from the other side of the Relay, there were now workers building the fortifications 24/7.

Suddenly, a sensor crewman spoke up, decidedly worried. "Sir, gravitational fluctuations around the relay! You might want to take a look si….."

The operator's voice trailed off, and Eliezer snapped his head to look at the viewscreen. The relay was glowing once again, and it spat out a further 20 more of the corvette and frigate sized vessels, with 2 cruiser class vessels.

Alarms began to blare, and Eliezer began to boot up all weapons systems from his designated station, as only the captain could start these crucial systems. He sat down in his captain's chair and opened an encrypted comms channel with all the other captains of the other stations and ships to coordinate their movements and actions, in case this new race ever proved hostile.

"Weapons! Raise cannon from 60 to 95 percent charge and activate point defenses! Get me firing solutions on those ships! Communications, prepare a first contact package and send it to the ship that came through first. Send an alert back to HIGHCOM. Shanxi has already been notified, and tell that operative to stay where he is! Navigations, bring the retro thrusters online and prepare them for a sustained burst."

Eliezer noticed that the ships were of differing designs. 'Ah,' he thought. 'The codex is consistent and is actually telling the truth.' Eliezer decided to put more faith into the codex and became more interested in learning its contents.

"And what about me sir?" The holographic terminal blinked to life, and the avatar of a 22nd century Rainforest War aviator popped up.

"You will coordinate the point defenses of this station. Groundside Commander will work with you to control planetary defenses; give him all the statistics on this "Citadel's" military power and whatever abilities they have. Upload all of the codex's relevant information into my neural lace; it could be crucial if a fight breaks out."

"Aye, sir." Jonathan's holographic avatar disappeared with a soft blip. Chatter from the comms station was rushed and carried out with urgency, as they were busy creating a message for HIGHCOM. The other officers were quickly entering commands into their holographic terminals.

The air was thick with tension, and Eliezer could clearly see the sweat running down the necks of the communication officers. One of the operators said unevenly "S-sir, package sent. What do we do now?"

Eliezer pondered this for a few moments. "Now, we wait."

Unbeknownst to all, secret forces were at work to deliver humanity at their rightful position as the caretakers of the galaxy.

A terminal blinked to life in a remote portion of the galaxy. The terminal resembled the building it resided in, and the building resembled the entirety of the system; desolate, ancient, ruined.

* * *

Ruined by a destructive war between two galactic juggernauts. Even now, death pervaded the atmosphere; there was no sign of life. A foreboding mood was constant, and it could almost be felt.

But not for long. Life would soon be brought back in the form of the descendents of themselves. These remnants of a largely forgotten empire would bring the Humans to this world. They would learn of their past, their inheritance, their destiny.

And as the terminals glowed after many tens of thousands of years, that destiny could be closer than any has ever dared think.

**Hey guys! Bit of an interjection here, but I feel obligated to add a codex of sorts to this story in order to inform you all of these two "galactic" powers.**

**Ship Classes (UNSC)****:**

**Corvette****:**

-Length: 250 meters

-Width: 96 meters

-Depth: 67 meters

-Armor: 40 cm Titanium-A3 Battle Plating

**-Armament:**

-1 Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon or 'Onager'

-6 50mm point defense cannons

-10 M-42 Archer Missile Pods (x30 each)

-1 Light shield generator

-1 CF-208 fusion reactor

**Complement:**

-1 squad of ODSTs (x10 each)

-1 platoon of marines (x30 each)

-(Optional) 1 SPARTAN-lV fireteam (x4 each)

-1 D77H-TCI 'Pelican' Dropships

-1 F-41 Broadsword Fighters

-2 M808 'Scorpion' Main Battle Tanks

-2 M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicles or 'Gauss Hogs'  
-30 escape shuttle craft (6 people each)

**Number in Operational Service: 575**

**Use: Used mainly as a scouting vehicle, the corvette is usually used to gather coordinate data for pinpoint slipspace jumps or as an evacuation craft. However, this class is not to be underestimated as it can use its weaponry to punch through a ship's shield if used correctly. These are kept in relatively low quantity as they are not a major part of naval engagements.**

**Stalwart Class Frigate****:**

-Length: 478 meters

-Width: 143 meters

-Depth: 113 meters

-Armor: 60 cm Titanium-A3 Battle Plating

**Armament:**

-1 Mark II, Light Coil – 83B6R3/MAC

-1 Underpowered Plasma Torpedo Tube

-4 Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannons or 'Onagers'

-26 M-42 Oversized Archer Missile Pods (x50 each)

-6 M870 Rampart 50mm Point Defense Guns

-M4093 Hyperion Nuclear Delivery System (3 silos)

-6 point defense pulse lasers

-1 Standard Shield Generator

-1 Standard CF-341 fusion reactor

**Complement:**

-2 platoons of ODSTs (x25 each)

-12 SOEIV Bays

-1 company of marines (x130 each)

-(Optional) 2 SPARTAN-lV fireteams (x4 each)

-6 M808 'Scorpion' Main Battle Tanks

-6 M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle

-2 AV-14 Attack VTOLs

-4 D77H-TCI 'Pelican' Dropships

-3 F-41 Broadsword Fighters

-4 M12 'Warthog' Force Application Vehicles

-1 HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor Defense System (or Mantis)

-60 escape shuttle crafts (x6 people each)

**Number in Operational Service: 2657**

**Use: This ship class is best used for fleet or planetary defense. They are powerful in large numbers and their shielding can resist 5 MAC rounds, or the equivalent of 3 plasma torpedoes. They aren't normally used during attacks unless there is a shortage of ships, as their decently sized complement is best used for ground deployment and air support.**

**Charon Class Light Frigate****:**

-Length: 490 meters

-Width: 156 meters

-Depth: 139 meters

-Armor: 60 cm of Titanium-A3 Battle Plating

**Armament:**

-1 Mark II, Light Coil – 83B6R3/MAC; Modified, 3 Shot 'Bursts'

-1 Standard Plasma Torpedo Tube

-1 Overhauled CF-341 fusion reactor

-4 Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon or 'Onagers'

-1 Standard Shield Generator

-M58 Archer Missile pods (50 pods)

-6 M870 Rampart 50mm Point Defense Guns

-M4093 Hyperion Nuclear Delivery System (3 silos)

-2 Shiva-Class Nuclear Missiles (Optional)

-6 Point Defense Lasers

**Complement:**

-2 platoons of ODSTs (x25 each)

-12 SOEIV Bays

-1 company of marines (x130 each)

-(Optional) 2 SPARTAN-lV fireteams (x4 each)

-6 M808 'Scorpion' Main Battle Tanks

-6 M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle

-2 AV-14 Attack VTOLs

-4 D77H-TCI 'Pelican' Dropships

-3 F-41 Broadsword Fighters

-4 M12 'Warthog' Force Application Vehicles

-1 HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor Defense System (or Mantis)

-60 escape shuttle crafts (x6 people each)

**Number in Operational Service: 3897**

**Use: Charon Class Frigates are very capable and suited for the role of planetary defense and or assault. Their relatively large complement can land multiple heavy units and carries a few SPARTAN armor facilities. This class is also great for using its point defense cannons to give ground support for planetary defenses. It also boasts an underpowered plasma torpedo tube, which can be used to defend ODPs from other ships to great effect.**

**Paris Class Heavy Frigate****:**

-Length: 538 meters

-Width: 229 meters

-Depth: 122 meters

-Armor Thickness: 60 cm Titanium-A3 Battle Plating

**Armament:**

-1 Mark III, Heavy Coil – 83B6R4/MAC

-1 "Mini" Energy Projector

-1 Overhauled CF-341 fusion reactor

-1 Mini CF-341 fusion reactor

-1 Heavy Shield Generator

-1 Standard Plasma Torpedo Tube

-5 Mark 2488 Magnetic Accelerator Cannon or 'Onagers'

-M4093 Hyperion Nuclear Delivery System (3 silos)

-2 Shiva-Class Nuclear Missiles (Optional)

-6 M870 Rampart 50mm Point Defense Guns

-6 Point Defense Lasers

**Complement:**

-1 SPARTAN-IV Fireteam

-1 ODST Detachment

-5 SOEIV Bays

-4 F-41 Broadsword Fighters

**Number in Operational Service: 5081**

**Use****: The Paris Class Frigate is usually used to escort large ships, and it lacks ground forces as its primary role is to fight in space. The reason they are fielded in such large numbers is because they are sometimes used to screen formations in the hundreds so that their larger escorts can fire upon the larger and more powerful enemy ships. Its primary reactor is used for the ships MAC and other systems, while it requires a secondary, smaller reactor for the sole purpose of powering the underpowered energy projector. However, the energy projector requires so much energy it still consumes some of the primary reactor power, which can deactivate many nonessential systems. For this reason, it is best to not use the energy projector unless necessary.**

* * *

**God DAMN! That codex took me forever, and I'm not even done with it yet! There will probably be 3 parts to the UNSC Codex alone, and I can't even imagine the Citadel Codex since they have so many different races.**

**Now, how should this play out? I've been thinking of multiple scenarios and this is just one of them:**

**SPOILERS (only if I choose this one)**

**Now I won't go into full detail, but I want for an initial diplomatic talk with the Citadel. The talks will break down NOT ON THE PART ABOUT AI's, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE TO HELL, but on the issues of military and technology. There, an unofficial Cold War starts with the UNSC stepping up Forerunner reverse engineering and military while the Citadel attempts to infiltrate UNSC territory illegally to gather information on the UNSC military power and technology. **

**So, if you guys have any more ideas, just PM them to me and I'll see how well they'll play out with my story so far. Thanks for reading, and make sure to hit that favorite button!**


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